I Swore It Would Never Be.....

When I was growing up, my mom's family was forever squabbling about something or other. We could never have a family get together without half the family refusing to come because they were on the outs with someone else because of something that had been said or done. And God forbid the two factions come and be in the same room/vicinity together. There were fist-fights and fusses and arguments and even a couple of incidents of guns and/or knives being involved. Luckily, none were ever used- but there was some very close calls.
I used to remember my stomach being in knots whenever we would go to any get-together with them because you never knew what was going to happen with the warring factions that day.
And I swore that when I had a family, it would never be like that. Yet, here I sit today, with my stomach in knots, crying, because of the warring factions in my own family.
And it started out slowly, with one member of the elders giving enough drama to keep things in an uproar. Then it became a couple more incidents and a couple more people.
And now- my own immediate family has recently began the slow decent.

Am I to live my entire life with this curse?
What did I do to deserve the hell of being caught in the middle of all this upset? I can see everyone's side. And I'm being pulled into the middle of it all.
I deleted my Facebook account and my MySpace accounts about 2AM this morning because of all the drama.
I can't deal with it. I'm on the edge of having a breakdown already and these situations aren't helping me at all.
I'm not willing to relay messages back and forth between the about 10 people who have issues with each other and aren't speaking, nor do I want to know who's doing who- or what anyone said that pissed someone else off. My heart cannot deal with the fact that these people I love so much are so upset with each other, and they want me to referee.

I refuse. I love them all too much to choose sides. As I said- I see all sides and I hurt for everyone. Especially me who is hurting more than all of them combined.

PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE.......If you love me- Just LEAVE me OUT of all of it!!!!

Hopes For The New Year

I hope for less stress.
I hope for more wealth.
I hope to move into a place that doesn't leak when it rains and is warm in the winter and cool in the summer and has a tub big enough to actually take a BATH in.
I hope the people I love can find good jobs.
I hope to be more thrifty.
I hope to FINALLY be able to lose this excess weight.
I hope to be wiser.
I hope the drama stops.

I wish for happiness and serenity for everyone.

That's Just Wrong!!!!

Okay.... so Paul was wanting me to play his stupid game with him and we was like, playing, and I was, like, getting to, like, blow stuff up and I was, like, having a LOT of fun running those guys down and watching them fly across the fields when my missiles hit them, and just because I wasn't paying attention to where his avatar was at and covering his ass and he got killed a dozen or so times because I was killing guys a half mile away from him....he laughed at me and put it away.

That's just SO wrong.....
:-D

Poor Baby....

As you know if you read Paul's blog, we got a new kitten on the 23rd.

She's such a sweetheart. She's been quiet as a mouse and extremely meek and mellow for a 3 month old kitten. She's a very cuddly, lovey kitten.

Well, turns out there's a very good reason she's been so mellow. She's sick with a horrible cold. Her sister had a bad one when we was looking at them and apparently she caught it from Noelle before we brought her home.

I called one of my best friends who is a long-time cat owner and she said the one time her kitties got a cold she ground up a Vitamin C tablet and sprinkled about a third of it in their wet food and they got over it in a couple days. She also added that she didn't know if that was because of the vitamin C tabs or just a happy co-incidence, but that's what worked for her babies.

I just hope Logan doesn't get it from Lucy. I guarantee he won't be a sweet mellow kitty if he gets a cold- he'll be the whiny, grumpy old man from Hades. I don't want either of them sick.....

BTW- can humans catch a cold from a cat? Just askin'..........

Wow.

Just a couple/three pics of the family at Christmas.
*******************

I was so afraid that this Christmas was going to be a bust.
So much going on lately and most of it not good.

..........................................Happily, I was wrong.

Our Christmas Eve Family Get together was absolutely awesome!! Everyone didn't get to make it, but it was still a wonderful get-together for those who were able to get there.

It was very laid back and relaxed, with lots of love and happiness abounding. We laughed, we shared memories- and we made new ones. A you can see from the pics- we are a very Gadget oriented family- everyone except me and the kids had their camera or phone or in some cases BOTH taking as many pics as possible!! It was great!!

Santa came Christmas Eve night and this morning, Paul and I woke up, opened prezzies and ate a quiet calm breakfast together. Then I napped a couple hours while Paul played the new Xbox game Santa brought him.

Then I woke up, and cooked the T-Bone steaks I had bought for us, along with mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls....... and a bit of the leftover Broccoli casserole Paul had made for the Eve-do. He made it from KBs recipe with a couple of adjustments and I have to say it's the best Broccoli casserole I have EVER put in my mouth! Excellent!!

Anyway, I'm working tonight, so as you can see- I'm trying to keep myself busy. Usually we have quite a few people here, but everyone is gone for the holiday weekend and there's a whole lot of nothing to do when there's no one here but me. Easy weekend for me with my duties so light- but a lonely one as well.

I've said a few prayers recently and asked for quite a few more from friends and family and most of my prayers have been answered.

It seems Christmas Miracles really DO still come true!
I am Blessed.

Twas The Night Before Christmas.....

....and all thru the house........

The decorating is done, the cooking went surprisingly smoothly and is finished, the gifts are wrapped and under the tree, the house smells heavenly and the rest of my kids are on their way in a couple hours!!
Frank is already here and he and Paul are watching Paul's special Christmas movie....Star Wars(*rolls eyes*)....and they are snacking on Chex Mix- a Christmas staple in my family. The tree is twinkling away and Christmas music is playing in the kitchen.

We don't have any snow on the ground, but it finally, finally, Finally FEELS like Christmas to me!!!




MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

It's Getting Closer.....

Christmas is almost here.

So why am I not more excited?
Instead I'm getting more and more nauseous.
This is wrong. Just plain WRONG!

What is going ON? I don't understand.

Not Quite My Plan, but...........

Well, I came in from work, fully intending to rest a bit and then go grocery shopping before our nasty weather arrived!

Unfortunately, my body had other plans. I fell asleep on the sofa and when Paul woke me to tell me it was time for the market to open, I knew if I tried to drive I would fall asleep at the wheel. So we went to bed and I slept til after noon. I woke up and the freezing rain had already started, so I jumped up, threw on my clothes and headed off to do the shopping, letting my sweet hubby stay in the nice warm bed.
I went to the market, got everything we needed and then realized I had a few dollars left over, so I finished the little bit of shopping I had left to do.
That's not to say I got all the shopping done I WANTED to do- but I have one gift for all the kids and grandsons and one for my mom. I already had Paul's done. Again, not what I had planned on doing, but he'll have something under the tree Christmas Morning. Besides- we already HAVE our Chrismas gift to each other.....remember- we put in the money we were planning on spending on each other and added it to the generous Christmas and Birthday cash Paul's parents sent us and bought our new TV which was something we had been drooling over for almost two years now but figured we wouldn't be able to acquire for at least another year.
Speaking of which- I'm RUINED for LIFE now because of them and that new TV. I watch TV at work during my lunch break and it's not HD.........geeze, it's like watching TV with vaseline smeared on your glasses!!! Not hardly worth the effort!!
So as you can see- I really AM enjoying our Christmas gift this year!!!
Thank You Parents and Hubby!!!

So the tree is decorated, and the gifts bought- and almost everything is wrapped......I have the food for the Christmas Eve get-together bought and ready for preparing. All I have to do is the cleaning and last minute details. Yay me. It would be soooo nice to have a fireplace right now!! *sigh*

Maybe when Paul wakes up- if the weather isn't too bad- we might go out for a quiet holiday drive together....get us both out of the house for a while!!
That would be really nice.

Getting Started....

I've been MIA for a few days now. Mainly from myself, but almost from everyone.
This is becoming a really hard time of year for me. With The holidays and Clays Birthday and my parents anniversary all falling in December but this year it's all hitting me EXTREMELY hard and there are even some added family complications this year as well.

I bought our Christmas tree(a fresh cut one- just like I promised Clay in our last conversation) and got it up on his birthday, but it's sat there all weekend and not gotten decorated. But tonight Paul and I are planning on decorating it together.
We've done it together once before, and we've done it separately a couple years- and for the past couple years Paul has let me have free rein in doing it however I like- which is-to him- well OVERDONE with way too many ornaments and lights.(Is there such a thing???)
But this year I especially feel the need of my husband by my side and he is here for me, holding my hand and my heart for safekeeping.

I think I need more of that. I'm tired of trying to be Superwoman/Supermom and trying to do it all on my own with no help from anyone. I realize I can't be the "Fixer" anymore. My husband has been my defender, my rock, and has let me know in no uncertain terms that no matter what- he loves me, is standing by me and will be here for me.

So tonight we are decorating what I am feeling is really our first Christmas Tree together.

He let me decide the theme- so I decided to do a tree I've never done before. A red, white and silver tree.
I guess I'll be using a Santa Hat for a Tree topper this year since I still haven't found a tree topper I love yet. Besides, our tree has an odd top this year and a tree topper wouldn't work anyway. Totally unlike me as well, I chose a 5 and a half foot tree instead of a monster like i usually pick.
This afternoon I dug out all my plain red and silver ornaments and then I decided they were just a bit TOO plain. So I got out my clear nail enamel and my snow glitter and a plastic bag. I poured the glitter into the plastic zip-lock bag and then brushed a thin coat of nail polish onto the tip or sides, or edges of the ornaments, then dropped them into the glitter bag , closed it up, and shook it so the glitter stuck to the damp nail polish..... (I was gonna use a glue stick but mine had dried up so I had to make do with what I had).....Then, I opened the bag, shook the excess glitter off the ornaments and laid them to the side to dry. They look frosted like the really expensive ones you buy at a specialty shop but for LOADS less money. Basically, I already had all the stuff here, but had I had to buy it all new it would have cost less than ten dollars. No joke.

I think next year- I'll get the girls together and maybe some of the grand-kids and us do a bunch of these ornaments together. It'll be making some new memories!
I need some new GOOD memories........As a matter of fact, I think I'll go get started on that right now!!

Happy Holidays, Y'all!!!!

Happy Birthday Clay.

My baby boy would have turned 26 today.

We're so blessed to have had him for 23 years with us.

We love you son. Always.

Just for Funsies.......

1. "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or depends on the context?

2. Fake or real tree? Or no tree? More than one tree?

3. Tree topper: star? angle? homemade? antique/family heirloom? same every year?

4. Colored lights? White lights? Lights outside? Other outside decorations?

5. Christmas Cards: Card? Letter? Pictures? Picture/card combo? Picture/letter combo? Every year or just years that you "get around to it"?

5b. Cards received- do you display them? Where? All, or just the photo ones? Where do you put them if you don't display them?

My friend, Marie, at Life In A Tiny Town posted this and I so totally stole it from her.
Thx Sweetie!!

My answers.......

1)Depends on the context. Usually I do say 'Happy Holidays' unless I know for sure the person I am speaking to is Christian. I like to include everyone and 'Happy Holidays' just about covers it all.

2)My tradition now is ...a REAL tree for the Living/Family room, and various sizes of artificial trees for the other rooms of the house. The most I have ever had was 7. Yes, SEVEN.

3)I change my tree topper out every year. I have a clear plastic one that actually looks like Glass....but my ceilings are so low where I live now I would have to have a 5 ft tree to use it so its displayed on the bookcase til I get in a house with cathedral ceilings. A 5 Ft tree is NOT big enought for my Christmases. Sorry- but that's just the way I roll.
I have used a Barbie in a wedding gown for a tree topper, a Santa hat, a star, an angel, and a bird.
There is no limit to what you can use for a tree topper and not unlike Marie, I have yet to find just the PERFECT one I cannot do without!!!

4)I use BOTH multi-colored and white lights. First I wrap the tree in one kind, keeping all the plugs grouped together, and then I do the other color. If I want all white- I just plug in the white group of plugs...if I want the colored lights- I plug them all in- white and colored. The white AND colored combined really makes the tree pop!!! I have a wreath for the front door- and hanging swags (made from an old artificial tree) for the front window shutters. That's all I do for the outside...so far. :-) When I get my OWN house I'm sure that will change.

5) I send out cards and I always have them ready by Thanksgiving Day...I hand deliver as many of them as I possibly can. ......My mom has a black & white photo taken of me in my Christmas PJs when I was two years old kissing an ornament on our Christmas tree. IF she ever locates it and loans it to me for two minutes so I can scan it- I'm going to do custom Christmas cards with that Pic on the front of it with a red MERRY CHRISTMAS beside it. I think it will be beautiful!! (I'm a little full of myself, huh?) :-)

5a) I do display my cards...all of them. I am one of those weird people who saves their Christmas cards every year and displays them every year following. I have dozens and dozens and I display them on my entertainment center, bookshelves, on the archway in my living-room, and a few very special ones, I have framed in plain black frames and I hang as seasonal art thru-out our home.

.....Sigh.........I love Christmas...I just don't have the energy for it at the moment.

Have yet to start my holiday decorating. Just can't seem to get it together and put the plan into action.

WTH? This is MY time of YEAR!! Why is it so hard for me to get going this year? I have a plan....I been working a little bit on getting things re-arranged so I can decorate. But then I think about all the sorting and I just can't quite face it yet. The tree will go up this coming Friday. Maybe then the following Monday or Tuesday I can get it all finished. I just don't see me getting it done this weekend....or in what's left of this weekend. I did ,however,get the menu for our party sorted. Yay me!!

I'm afraid I'm going to become one of those people who doesn't like Christmas............how horrible and sad would that be? Me of all people.

:-(

Deep Breaths......

Well, dej`a vu all over again...
This is how today went...
5AM- I'm at work, and the Phone rings. I answer.




It's Paul....." Hi Sweetie.... Question...... how much money do we have left this week?"....

Me, (very proud of myself having just worked 2 and a half hours on the budget for this month so we could get everything taken care of without it being so tight we couldn't breathe)..." WE have plenty to fix the kitchen faucette, sweetie."...

Him-" Ummmmmm.....No, This is a completely different thing than the kitchen thing....see, I went to bed and..." at which point my stomach started churning.

OH NO.........
NOT.
EFFING.
AGAIN.

...."and when I looked up at the ceiling, I noticed...."

OH, BLOODY EFFING HELL!!!!!!!!!!...NO NO NOOOOOOOO!!! It can't be... not again- not NOW for Christ-sake!!!!

"this new dark spot on the tiles and so I felt it and it was damp- so I went outside and took a look and...."


I didn't even have to hear the rest of it........... I told him I would call him back in just a few minutes and hung up just as I reached the ladies room and promptly threw up everything I had eaten in the past 12 hours.

15 minutes of puking and dry-heaving later, I finally called him back and let him finish telling me the bad news.

And as for the rest of the story, ..............I believe you have already heard it...ad nausem- so I'll let it end here. It's repaired- again- but we won't know if it's actually done any good til the next time it rains hard. We're(I'm) not very optimistic at this point in the game.

Deep Breaths.....Deep breaths...........preferably with a cigarette and a stiff drink chasing it.
Have a GREAT weekend, Y'all!!!!

I Need It.....

My drink of Choice.....White Russians.

Ahhhhhh.....

Mind Numbing..............

I detest the holiday weekends I have to work.
There is absolutely NO ONE here at work except me. For three 12-hour-shift days.
And there are only so many times I can walk around this facility without becoming so mind numbingly bored I want to run screaming down the middle of the interstate just to see another human.

Let me say that one more time.....

Mind

Numbingly

BORED

That would be ME.

He said-She Said.....

This is what HE said...

This is what SHE has to say......

Well, yeah I DID move TWO things around in the living-room. I took one of the end tables and moved it across the room to put the telephone base on. Then I slid the sofa/couch 6 inches to the left. That was IT.

See, what my darling hubby doesn't understand is ...well.....me.

I have lived my entire life being able to move the furniture around any way I wanted...seriously from the time I was about 8 years old....my mom liked doing outside things and she didn't care that I took over the housekeeping for her. And this meant that every time I really deep cleaned the house(about 2-3 times a year) I would simply re-arrange the furniture along with it. In the Spring, it was to take advantage of the coolness of the breeze coming in the windows or to get the most out of the window unit A/C. In the winter months- it was to facilitate and maximize the space for the holiday decorations. After the holidays were over one or two items were re-positioned to get the room back in order. And I've always been the one to unhook and hook the electronics back up and move them around when I did all this re-arranging, too.

But now my darling hubby has a few things hooked up and calibrated so I can't MOVE the electronics like I used to. I can't move anything in the room except a couple bookshelves and ONE chair. I can't move the electronics. I can't move the desk with the computer and printer. I can't move his art table. Nor the entertainment center holding the TV and all the electronic components hooked up to it.
And this KILLS me.
It almost makes me feel uncomfortable in my own home to not be able to move anything like I used to. And I'm sure it drives him just as crazy to get up and see something has been moved 6 inches after all the measuring and calibrating he did to make it just perfect for where he was sitting. (Altho I still got enhanced sound from my spot too.)
Maybe if he had TOLD me he did all that precision measuring and calibrating, I would have understood WHY he didn't want anything moved.....or maybe not.....That's what he gets for being sneaky and not explaining seemingly "insignificant" things to me.

I'm sure we'll work thru this latest development. It's yet another marriage adjustment.
And we DO love each other...despite the fact we annoy the CRAP out of each other with little things like this!! Really we do.
:-)

Chickin' Kickin' VS Wussy Whoopin'........

There was no "Chickin Kickin" or "Chickin Lickin" this year- it was more of a SERIOUS "Wussy Whoopin' "!! ...so I'm sitting here at the table with all the other Clemson Tiger Fans eating CROW for dinner!!!
Way to go Carolina Gamecocks!!!!

( Enjoy it-It'll be back to normal next year......)
:-)

And So It Begins.................

Much to my husband's chagrin, I have begun the process of re-arranging the house for Christmas decorating. I mean...............ummmmmm............for HIS optimum visual and auditory perception of the new TV.
Yeah, that's it. That last line.
*Insert "mischievous grin" here.*

The Best Christmas Gift...........

I don't care what other women say.......if my man buys me a new vacuum, or a Little Green Machine, or a new mixer, or a bread-maker or some new gadget he saw on TV, he thought it would save me time and work so he is DA BOMB!!!

In my opinion, jewelry or big ticket items should only be given on a SPECIAL wedding anniversary(10th, 25th or 50th) or on a hallmark birthday (25th, 40th, 50th, 65th )-if he gives them.

Ladies, remember, most guys DO NOT think like we do. A bathrobe to them isn't a mundane or ho-hum gift...it's a snuggly article of clothing to keep us warm on a chilly morning or evening. A crock pot is going to save us time in the kitchen so we don't have to rush around after working all day and taking care of our daily lives. A new vacuum that doesn't spew dust back over the room saves us from having to spend MORE time dusting everything.............remember that people usually give gifts to someone they care about because they think they would love the same thing - for one reason or the other.

So rather than sitting around pouting that he didn't buy you that diamond tennis bracelet you had your heart set on, be thankful that he is trying to make your life easier, so you have more time to spend on the things that really count.....spending more time with your family and taking it a bit easier.

You all only have one life, enjoy it and live every day like it was your, or their, last.

About That Time!!!

Well, It's after 6PM so my Pre-Thanksgiving baking is about to commence.
I do about half my baking and prep work the day before the main event. Easier that way.

Next year I'll host a big dinner again for the entire family, but it's just going to be me and Paul this year.
I just have to make the cornbread for the DRESSING (and YES- there IS a HUGE difference in Dressing and Stuffing!!!), and bake a Southern Buttermilk Pound Cake.
The rest will be done tomorrow.

It's odd- having just me and Paul...usually I spend at LEAST three days before Thanksgiving baking and prepping when we have the entire family over!! And by the entire family, I mean the kids, the grand-kids, my mom and her friend, and sometimes a couple of my siblings and a couple of their kids, and we usually have a few mis-placed people come along, too. All are usually welcome to share our bounty. But this year Paul and I are taking a break and it's going to be just he and I.


Watching the Macy's Parade while the turkey roasts, spend a leisurely afternoon cooking up the rest of the dinner while sipping on a glass of Eggnog, eating dinner, going for a short ride to look at some Christmas displays around town and finishing up the evening drinking a White Russian or two while watching a bit of TV!!!
I'm looking forward to a nice quiet day with My Love.

I Believe.......

Okay, so all I ask is that beginning with Thanksgiving Day til the day after Christmas.....

Let me sing my Christmas songs. Let me buy my little gifts and wrap them and be happy doing it without any smug comments.

Let me owwww and ahhhh over the light displays without mentioning how much electricity the people are wasting and how our planet is being destroyed by these pointless things. They make me smile and that's good enough for me.

Let me look up in the sky and see a glowing red light on Christmas Eve and just let it GO- without comment- when I say "LOOK- there's Santa and Rudolf flying over!!".

Let me believe that reindeer can fly and elves make all the toys and Santa actually CAN deliver all those gifts in one night. Let me believe that the bite took out of the cookie and the empty glass of milk was the big guy in RED.

Don't burst my bubble. Let me be a kid again for just a while. It was all so much easier then and I could honestly say...

"I BELIEVE."
Because......maybe it's really what I DO believe - or maybe I just need to be able to believe again- just for a little while- to restore my sanity and hope.

Thanksgiving Blessing

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Shimmy

Free belly dance lessons anyone??

FitTV has a show called SHIMMY that is basically bellydancing lessons for free. It was on last night (Tuesday) at 10PM but check your Local listings.. Perfect time- after the kids have gone to bed so you have a tiny bit of ME time.

Go ahead- have a go. It's easier than you think.

A New Prayer For School.

While I myself am not terribly religious, I do still believe that Prayer should be allowed in school for the faithful.

Clicking on the next blog tab I stumbled on this from Soli Deo Gloria.........


Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word "God" is mentioned a kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer. I liked it.
***********************************************************


Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

Losing Track.........

Soooo.......it's been an odd few days this past week.

I'm still recovering from the flu. You know- the actual "Sick" part of it wasnt bad at all- but the lingering fatigue has just thrown me for a loop. Whereas I was sleeping about 5-7 hours a day before- I'm now sleeping closer to 12-14 hours a day......sometimes with a nap in between big sleeps!! My housework has gotten WAYYYY behind, but luckily I have a wonderful hubby who understands and tries to help me out as much as I will let him-(which luckily for him isn't much because I'm so damn anal about the way things are done. Life would be SOOO much easier on me if I just let GO of some of that freaky stuff, but I've tried and it just creeps back up on me.)
Anyway........Yesterday evening I had about two hours before my regular show(Biggest Loser) came on and since Paul was playing a game on the XBox and I was bored with sitting around resting and goofing on the computer- I thought- "GREAT!!! I have two hours, I can go clean the kitchen and have plenty of rest-time in between when I get tired." So off I go to the kitchen and when I looked under the sink to get a trash bag to replace the one in the bin, the entire cabinet floor was dripping wet. Oh Crap. The faucet was leaking again, so that meant changing the washers again.
No biggie-right???
Wrong.

What should have been a 5 minute job actually turned into a two HOUR job because of several factors. We couldn't find the washers. When we did find them, none were the right size since we had bought a assortment pack of them and used the only ONE in the pack that was the right size LAST time we had to fix the stupid thing. Then we had to figure out our finances since we are still playing catch-up from me being out of work with the flu for that week. Then we had to drive to LOWES and buy the stupid washers.THAT was a story in itself. But I'll let Paulius tell you about that one if he wants to.......
Anyway, then we drove home and Paul proceeded to repair the faucet while I ranted and raved about what a money pit this place is and how we could have moved a dozen times on the money we've put into repairs and improvements and how we'd be better off just jacking the place up and sliding another in it's place.
He finally looked at the clock and told me my show was on and I should go watch it while he finished up repairs in the kitchen.
I love that man!
So needless to say, I didn't get the kitchen cleaned last night after all because when the show was over- we went to bed shortly after. The fan is still on, blowing under the sink drying it out and when that finishes, we have to spray it down with bleach so mold and mildew won't set in.
I hope I get better soon or I'm not gonna have the strength to decorate for the holidays.

Okay......... so in response to Pauls post about self-esteem.
My problem seems to be I have good self-esteem altho I'm not at all happy with being overweight. I realize I am who I am regardless of what I weigh, and life will not automatically become all Rainbows and Butterflies when I lose the weight like some people suggest.
Yeah, some of my health issues will get better, but no one is going to like me more when I am thin because, face it, everybody loves me just the way I am now...... and I'm not going to have a better job and be making more money.
All that's going to happen is I'm going to still be living my life the way I am now- only with less body to have to lug around. I'm still gonna be annoyingly me, the person who sings/whistles/hums Christmas songs all year long....the person who (like Joey on FRIENDS) can make anything slightly sexual.......the person who loves to try new recipes and bring the results to work for her co-workers to give their opinions of........the person who procrastinates, about a LOT of things........the person who loves her family and adores her friends and tries to be a shoulder for whoever needs it, the woman who almost worships the ground her hubby walks on.

But I'm me- I'm happy with me even tho I am overweight and would like to change that. Does that make me more complacent to losing the weight? Probably......but then , some of the worst things in my life have happened to me when I was thin, and when I start getting attention when I do lose a few pounds, it reminds me of those times and I gain the weight back. It's become a huge roadblock for me, even tho I KNOW I'm much more prepared to handle a situation MUCH better than I did in the past. Lots of lessons and weapons have helped in that area.

So someday soon I'm going to be able to get past the obstacles and forget the past....or at least be able to put the past behind me and move forward. Soon.

Ummmmmmm..........
Okay...I admit it- I somehow lost track of where I was going with this somewhere in the middle of it. Dangitt....That happen a lot too. Oh well.
:-P

Apples Make Me Hungry

I know what the "Experts" say about eating fruits(and for some reason they really push the apples) when you're trying to lose weight.

But here's the thing.....I can't eat apples. I mean I can, but when I eat apples- in 10 minutes I am hungry- And by hungry, I mean I'm hungrier than I was before I ate the apple. And by hungrier- I mean absolutely RAVENOUS.

Anyone have any logical explanation as to why?

A Prayer

Dear God,

Things have been going so calmly for the past few days. Please don't let them change.
I want to have just a while of peace and calm before anything hits the fan again.

Thank you.
Me

Mee-sa Happy!!!!!!!

I have talked to all my babies in the past two days....Julie called and we had a nice long conversation. I talked to Frank last night and saw him for a few minutes. And I talked to our Kathy today on the phone as well. Paul called me at work and we had a nice discussion as well as our nice little drive a couple nights ago. I got a nice chatty e-mail from my mother-in-law and had a quick chat with my daughter in law, Marie, and I saw my mom as well and had a nice chat with her. I saw my baby brother and got to talk with him for a few minutes. I've chatted with my sister Tee a couple of nights in a row while we were both at work. So if I just got to talk with my other sister Nina this weekend, I would be happy as a pig in mud on a sunshiny spring day.
It's been a GREAT weekend and I am feeling BLESSED!!!!
Mee-sa Happy!!!!!!

I Don't Wanna......

I have a list of I don't wannas.

And the reasons to go with them.

On the upside-........I have a job. I have food. I have a roof over my head. I am reasonably content.

Good Nuff.....for now.

(to be continued...............)

Just a TINY Rant..........

Don't get me wrong.....I'm VERY happy to have a job, but today the company I work for put into action a new Payroll system.
My workers and I are a team of 4 members......sometimes 5.

Well, every two weeks our schedule ran as follows....
We work 12 hour shifts each ....A Shift and B Shift.
One week we got 36 hours....the next we got 44 hours. That is IF the 5th person works.
Well, This week we have to go to a new system that now gives us two hours on the 36 hour week....but takes away two hours of our OT from the 44 Hour week. This affects ONLY me and the other Night shift guy on the other shift....the day guys still get ALL their overtime pay and nothing is taken away from them.
Doesn't that seem a bit screwed up to you?
Well, it does to us. we don't even get a Night shift differential in our pay as it is, and now we are getting paid LESS because we work this night shift.

This kinda blows.
Okay Rant over. That wasn't too bad was it?
:-)

Still At It

Well, I slept for a grand 6 hours and then got up and started back cleaning again. Basically all I have left is to just the vacuuming and finding a spot for a few odd things. It feels good to have one room in the house back to normal.

About halfway thru my morning cleaning, I have stopped and made Paul and I some lunch. He offered to make it, but I had a hankering for something dfferent. I wanted Shrimp Po'Boys with home-made shoestring fries. So I made them. I'll let him make us supper later tonight if he likes.

I got thinking about our food. I like trying to come up with something out of the ordinary for dinner at least once a week Stuff like....
Coq au Vin
Shrimp & Sauce with Pasta
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Caesar Salad
Chicken and Cheese wrapped with Bacon
Chili with Cheese and Corn Chips
Beef or Pork Roast with Roast Potatoes



The rest of the week we have our standards.......
Teriaki Chicken with fries
Burgers and fries or chips
Beef Stroganoff
Grilled Chicken with Seasoned Rice
Grilled Fish and something or the other
BBQ ribs with baked fries
Soup and crackers
Ham or Chicken with Biscuits, Pinto Beans or Black-eyed Peas and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Slow Cooker Stew with Stew Beef, Potaoes, Onions, and carrots
........

Sometimes we even do scrambled eggs and toast or Pancakes for Supper!


Today is a beautiful day out.....the sun is shining, it's not too hot- nor too cold, I'm fed and rested, the geese are flying overhead going south for the winter, and my family is (for the moment) all happy and safe.
Life doesn't get much better than this.

Settling In.........

I decided to clean the Living room tonight after Paul went to bed...Really deep clean...Moving all the furniture, vacuuming, wiping down the walls, dusting the picture frames, polishing all the furniture and wiping down all the leather. I even cleared away most of the bric-a-brac from the shelves. Well, a lot of that was because the holidays are coming up and I figured why have to do that in a couple/three weeks when I can just go ahead and do it now while I'm in the mood.
Holy cow.......I had no idea how bad my house had gotten this past few months while I was in this depression.

I think my new meds may be working now tho.

I actually wanted to go for a ride this afternoon when I got home from work and the grocery shopping. Paul and I went out to Zaxbys and got a bite and had an Al Fresco lunch .....and then we headed out of town to Flat Rock, about fifty miles away....just to get out and DO something. We stopped at the Blue Ridge Mall and went window shopping. They already had some of their Christmas decorations up, and it was great walking around and NOT be working while I was doing it. Seeing what Paul was most interested in just made my day. We walked around and held hands and laughed and pointed out things we would love to be able to get for various people we know.
It was a lovely, carefree, autumn afternoon and I couldn't have asked for anything sweeter than spending some quiet, quality time with the love of my life.

:-)

I love my job.

I work with the coolest people EVER and we have the most INTERESTING conversations!!!!

I wish everyone had a job they loved as much as I love mine at this moment!!!!

Ups...and Downs

You decide which are the Ups and which are the Downs....or maybe a bit of BOTH!
*********************************************
*The holidays are approaching and as such I can now start singing the occasional Christmas song without too much of an uproar.
*The Autumn colors are at full peak now in our neck of the woods. I haven't seen such vivid colors in years!! Absolutely beautiful!!
*I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving Day Dinner. I'm starting to get a bit concerned, tho. I told the kids THEY were responsible for Thanksgiving Day Dinner this year and so far I have yet to hear a peep from them about any plans having been made. Maybe I should get a chicken just in case they dont actually HAVE the dinner this year. At least Paul and I will have a Plan B for OUR dinner.
*I think I am going to have the kids over for Christmas Eve from now on too. We can have Finger foods and dessert and open gifts then. Then Paul and I will have a nice quiet Christmas day to ourselves. This year I have to work on Christmas Day evening too, so I won't be so frazzled doing it that way.
*I was riding past my old neighborhood today and popped by my old house. It made me sad to see other people living there. I got to customize it........big bay window in the living room with a big beautiful maple tree in the front yard just outside it, Custom built-in bookshelves in the entrance, a big brick fireplace with a huge mantle just made for hanging stockings Christmas Eve, A big wide archway linking the Living room and Dining-room. It sat at the top of a hill and was a modest size, but it was my dream home. That's okay tho. ...By this time next year I'll be in my own home again. I've made a promise to myself that no matter WHAT I have to do- By August I will be in a position to put a down-payment on a house of my own. I don't care how much overtime I have to put in, or if I have to get a second or third job....I WILL DO IT. I will NOT be in this falling apart "guesthouse" another year. I was only supposed to be here for three years tops.......I've now been here seven. As my Papa Coyle used to say...."SweetPea, it's time to either Poop- or get off the pot!" Only he was much more colorful about it. I miss my Papa too. Crusty old man. :-)
I need to go sleep a couple hours before work...........Later all!!!

Growing Up Sucks..................

There comes a defining moment in every ones life when their innocence is shattered.
This is a story about one of those times......


I found this story by Shaz @ STORG.com...
************************

It began in the first grade, a warm spring day. We were growing closer to the end of the school year and everyone was anticipating the summer that was just around the corner. I was playing in the play yard after lunch, sitting under my favorite tree, poking a stick into the dirt. This was my favorite part of the day. My stomach was full of cafeteria pizza and I was ready to draw pictures in the dirt.........

As I sat there in my plaid uniform jumper, caking dirt on my hands, I noticed something bright in the dirt. It was pink, slightly smaller than a grain of rice. I picked it up, and looked it over. Then I looked at the ground again, to find that the base of my favorite tree held many of these tiny sprinkles. I began picking them up, one by one. This one was green. This one was blue. Glitter-flecked, orange, purple, brown, white! I gathered as many as I could before the bell rang, and pocketed them.

The next day, I anxiously waited for lunch to finish. Finally, the bell rang and I dashed to my tree in hopes of finding the last of them. To my surprise, there were MORE! I spent the break carefully picking up each piece, and I sat admiring them.

I glanced up at the tree. Suddenly, I knew! I knew the cause of this! It made perfect sense! Fairies must be living inside this tree, and they put their magic sprinkles there as a gift for me. Obviously, they appreciated my artistic doodling in the dirt. I smiled at the tree and whispered, "I won't tell anyone you're here, it's okay!"
For the next week, I found my fairy sprinkles waiting for me. I'd carefully gather them, and then I'd thank the tree for such lovely gifts.

The next week, the only sprinkles that I could find were the ones I had overlooked the week before. I was sad, but I reasoned that fairies must be migratory. They can't stay in one place for long or else they'll be discovered. I took great care to thank the tree for sharing the fairies with me.
A year passed. I was in second grade now. I still had the small jar of fairy sprinkles hidden in my room. Again, it was spring time. Again, I was sitting under my favorite tree. It caught me off guard to see the return of the sprinkles. I gathered them with great care, thanked the tree, and took them home to be added to my collection. It was the same as the year before. The sprinkles lasted a week while the fairies lived in their temporary home in my favorite tree. Every day, I'd talk to them as I gathered my treasure. I'd tell them about my classes, about boys, about my family. I figured that they shared their gift with me, they should at least know me better. So I shared my life with that tree, and thanked it every day. And then the fairies would leave, and I would move on to another grade, and other year, a life away from the last.

The fairies came every year. My third and fourth grade were filled with the same anticipation of springtime, and my chance to talk to the fairies again. They were so generous with their gifts, and I left them little gifts with stick art in the dirt.

But that play yard was only for students between 1st and 4th grade. After the fourth grade, I stayed in the same building, but the older kids occupied a different play yard, which had a big field, but no trees in it. So on the Friday of the week of the fairy gifts, I explained this to the tree. I told the fairies that I wouldn't be able to return the next year. I thanked them profusely, and told them I hoped with all my heart that they might pass the legacy to another child, that they could give him or her the gifts that they had shared with me over the course of four years. "My jar is nearly full, anyway," I explained. The bell rang, and with tears in my eyes, I thanked the tree one last time.
A few years passed, and life had changed many times over. I never forgot about the tree, and the secret of the fairies. I kept my jar of fairy sprinkles in my closet, on the shelf. But I had grown up and had a more adult view on the world. My life was busier, more involved.

It was seventh grade now. Girls were getting boyfriends and boobs and makeup. We were in Mrs. Pryor's class. It was a warm, spring day, our grades were already tallied, and the teachers were just passing time before summer break began. Mrs. Pryor was explaining a project to us. First you draw your picture, then you will lay a layer of glue, and then you will sprinkle these tiny plastic grains to the page, as needed, and- tadaa, you have art.

These grains looked oddly familiar, as I created my masterpiece. But it wasn't until the class, I, together with the rest, carried our papers outside and dumped the excess, loose sprinkles around my favorite tree, that I realized that the fairies never were.

*****************************

Almost back To NORMAL-(Whatever THAT IS!!)

Just a few minutes ago I got the word that it's a GO for me to return to work tomorrow. YAY!!! As much as I love being home with my hubby, having the flu hasn't exactly been the ideal situation to be home with my sweetie. I tend to annoy him with my goofiness but I suppose me sleeping 18 hours a day has really helped us both cope.

The other day while I was sleeping, Paul had opened up a can -(ugh)- of chicken noodle soup and ate it for dinner. He remarked on how horrible it was. So, tonight I made him MY Chicken Noodle Soup. It is supremely better than the canned stuff and way too easy to make.

I hate that I missed my Grandson, Christopher's, Birthday Party today. I slept right thru it. But I'll make it up to him.

I still need to get motivated to do some housecleaning, but I only work tomorrow night and then I have two days off, so I can do it then.

I'm SO glad things are almost back to normal.

About Time.....

<--------Stargazer Blue............

This afternoon at about 2PM I finally woke up with my sleep hangover. You know, the hung-over feeling you get when you have slept way too much.
I was dehydrated, so I got up, took a shower, ate a bit of fresh mozzarella cheese, and drank til my hearts content. Milk, sugar free soda, fake coffee & water. And I feel so much better. I should after three solid days of sleeping tho.

I thought while I'm sitting here still too shaky to do more than just sit for a while, I would try out my new watercolor paper and brushes. I've tried charcoals, pastels, and oils, and now I want to try out watercolors.
Now, I have watercolor pencils....somewhere. I have worn myself out looking for them tho and they seem to have just vanished into thin air. I saw them the other day....somewhere. There's that damn word I hate so much.

Anytime I go to my moms to borrow something the response I always get is" Sure- you can borrow it if you can find it....it's here.....SOMEWHERE."
OMG, how I detest that phrase!

Before my illness got to me, I did get the wall behind the sink in the kitchen painted. I painted it a really pretty sort of french blue..... the actual color is Stargazer Blue by Valspar.
The kitchen was/is yellow with a really cutesy teacup border around the top near the ceiling. The blue really sets off the white cabinets. I'm torn between doing ALL the kitchen in the blue or just doing the wall behind the sink and stove as accent walls.
I would post a picture, but since I've been sick the sink is piled high with dishes and I'm not quite up to doing them yet, so the web-pic from Valspar will have to do.
Don't go suggesting Paul do them either because he has volunteered but I am sort of OCD about my dishes and I've graciously refused his help with them. My problem, entirely.

Anyway.............hopefully I can find the pencils soon. It would really help pass the time.

Recovery Road

Seems my case of the flu has been a mild one. Couple days of upset tummy (from both ends), a night of 100 degree fever, continuing massive body aches, a headache that just needles me all day, and fatigue that sends me to bed after being up only a couple hours.

All in all, I would say not bad for the flu. Not like year before last when I got it. No flu shot and it took me six months to be back to 100%.

I'm somewhat of a germaphobe lately.....we wipe everything down at work(I work in a hospital), I wash my hands constantly, I don't touch doorhandles or elevator buttons or anything like that with my bare hands, I stay my distance from people who even LOOK like they might be sick with ANYTHING........ But you can't avoid going to the grocery store, and the doctors office(OMG what a NIGHTMARE THAT is for me!! I wear a mask when I go there whether I'm sick or NOT...I know they're not foolproof, but every little bit helps),...and work.
I'm hoping to be able to go back to work this weekend. As long as the fever doesn't resurface, I think I'm good to go.

Hoping all you stay away from BOTH types of the flu..........!!!

Oh No......

Woke up this morning feeling even more achy, nauseous, and with an upset tummy. Hoping it's just the new meds the doc gave me and not the flu...heading to the doctors office in an hour to get a flu swab.
Oh God- Please Please PLEASE don't let it be the flu!!!!! I can't be out of work for an entire week!!!

Ever Have One of Those Days?

Yeah, me too......
Sometimes the smallest, most inconsequential shit just pisses me right effing off.

This & Dat.........

Well, after the snake incident...I have decided that I need to go thru stuff yet AGAIN and de-clutter my house even more.

What I wanna know is, how do you decide what stays and what goes? We already have a storage building full of stuff we have packed up and put away. And stuff just KEEPS coming back into the house!

Of course I have the things I just absolutely CANNOT/WILL NOT give up....the sentimental stuff...mostly stuff from my kids, parents, and grandparents. But I don't wanna do too much throwing away because the place we live in now is small and at some point in the near future, I am hoping we will be in a position to get a new place of our own and I don't want to have to go out and buy NEW stuff, when I have things now that would work perfectly well in a new place. It just seems terribly wasteful.
But then again, maybe I am holding on to these non-sentimental things for no reason. I bought some of them when I was single or when I was with the exes........ and even tho they are nice and still reflect my tastes, (for the most part), maybe it would be a good thing to get rid of it all and start life with Paulius in our new home fresh. Like I said, the only things that really matter to me are the sentimental things, anyway.
And what do I do with all the stuff I want to get rid of? Do I try and have a yardsale?I mean I work 12 hour shifts! Do I just donate it to charity? Do I just burn it in a huge symbolic bonfire?
........................

I think I'm going to run out as soon as Lowes opens and get that gallon of paint for my Kitchen after all.
I have decided to paint my kitchen a pretty blue color. It's butter yellow now and I LOVE a yellow kitchen. But, I think it's time for a change. I'm also going to paint my big table and chairs black and re-upholster the seat covers. My cabinates will remain pure white with the brass hardware(given to me by Clay & Kathy) and the black countertops will stay as well. I think I'm going to change the rooster motif in there, too. Paul detsests them , so maybe I'll go for something a bit more modern, or at least something less barn-yardy. Is that a word?
Maybe that's what attracted the snake to begin with! JK- I know it wasn't, but I'm still mega-freaked out over it.

In other news.......I went for my doctors visit Friday morning. My BP was up as it has been for the past couple of months or so, so she upped my meds for it.
(Coming in to the snake incident after the doc appointment didn't help it either, I'm sure.)
She also put me on a different low dosage anti-depressant to try for a while. Right after Clays accident, she tried me on Cymbalta, but it just made me feel worse, so I stopped taking it. I have tried to get along without using any kind of medication, but after two years, I'm still crying almost every single day and I've went from sleeping way too little, to sleeping way too long then getting up for a couple hours and then needing a nap.......and this is a couple times a day! So I got the script filled and I've been taking it... this is the third day... and I actually got up and felt like cleaning the kitchen this morning. Yay. She said I should start feeling a bit better in a couple days and should see a significant change in my depression in the next couple months. And if not- after a couple months give her a call back and we'd go from there.
She also did a full blood screening and I should get the results back from those by the middle of the week. She also didn't fuss at me about my weight....I actually had lost 4 pounds since my last visit. Guess she thought I had enough on my plate without adding to my problems. At least with a small loss she sees I'm TRYING to lose the weight.

So many things to deal with all at once. Well, with the holidays coming up, I'll have something to take my mind off stuff for a while!
The babies are going to be just the right age for Christmas to be magical for them!!! I can't wait to get pics!!!!

Oh well..........we'll see how it goes.
Wish me luck!

The Last Straw.

Well, if this day doesn't just beat all.

Fasting since midnight to have bloodwork done at the doctors office was bad enough.
Then I come home from said doctors visit and walk into the kitchen to have our cat come racing past me and POUNCE just in front of my foot causing me to almost fall over him and break my neck. When I turned around to yell at the poor thing, he's standing there with an 13 inch snake dangling from his mouth. I measured. AFTER getting it away from Logan, The SuperHero Cat.(Meaning AFTER it stopped writhing he dropped it and I promptly chopped it's head off with a VERY long handled shovel).
OMFG!!!!!!! It was a baby copperhead!!!!
I don't think I can sleep in this house anymore.
Just walking around since it happened I am jumping out of my skin every time I brush against something or when Logan comes galloping down the hall like a horse. Every electrical cord I see is a slithering evil presence that's ready to sink it's fangs into me.
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was all ready to come home and eat a bite and then sleep for a while.
Not anymore. I may never sleep here again.
Seriously.
Marie- can you get me a good monthly rate at the Days Inn?
Lemme know.
ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Close Encounter.........

I saw the most amazing thing today .

On the way home this morning, just before the sun peeked over the horizon, something loped across the road in front of my car. At first I thought maybe it was an injured deer from the funny way it was moving, but then when I stopped the car, I took a long look and
...it....was.....a.....big.....freakin'.....black...wolf.
And yeah- I have seen wolves up close before and it definitely was a wolf and not a black dog. I actually backed up to look at it again and I said out loud, with the windows rolled up.."OMG that is NOT a wolf..it can't be!!".
And the thing turned and looked at me with those HUGE Golden eyes like it freakin' HEARD me.

We sat and stared at each other for about 10 seconds and then it turned and loped off into the woods on the other side of the road.

Beautiful animal, but was even freakier (but not scarier) than our encounter with the bear!!!

Is It Just Me.........

...........or does it seem like October is taking forever this year?

Every day seems like a week to me for some strange reason!!!

Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll Have To Carry Me Out In A Box.....

(You'll understand the photo when you reach the end of the post.... )

**************************
Watching my DIY network today, a couple of empty-nesters were doing improvements to their house in an upscale middle-class neighborhood. Doing stuff like making the den into a Home Theatre, complete with the Stadium seating and the Deluxe Theatre chair system. They made the adjoining bedroom to the Master a celebrity style walk-in closet. They also were redoing the bath and the kitchen to suit their taste and enhance their enjoyment of their remaining years of life. They worked hard(and were still working out of offices in their home) and paid for it and wanted to enjoy it even more.

The concern was (...and it wasn't THEIR concern.... as the title says, their words were "You'll have to carry me out of here in a box."........) that the value of their home would exceed the value of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood.

Well, who give a flying .........Crap?

It's THEIR home that they're planning on living in the REST of their lives and it can only make the prices of the other houses in the neighborhood go UP in value, so why does anyone give a damn?
They aren't asking the bank for money to make the improvements...they aren't asking the neighbors to help them out doing the improvements, nor are they making an eyesore of the neighborhood by painting it some God- Awful Blindingly Sick color like Barney Purple with Pumpkin Orange Hearts all over it.

Why should anyone else have a say about ANY improvements they make to the INSIDE of their own home?
It makes my blood BOIL when someone goes sticking their nose into something they should have NO say in whatsoever.

Next thing you know "SOMEONE" will be trying to tell us we have no right to make love except on Wednesday Nights, only with the lights off, and with high necked, ankle length flannel gowns and bed-caps on.....Even you guys....... and maybe they'll say, in addition to the gown and bed-cap, MEN have to wear 6 inch RED stilettos and pressed powder make-up, as well.
Sexy huh? NOT!!!!

Ridiculous?
Same Concept.
They have No RIGHT.

Effin' A!!!!!

Spent the whole day driving my son, who has FULL medical coverage, around to about 6 different Doctors Offices for his back, and because of one tiny little mistake on his insurance card was refused at all but the last one. He's called the Ins. Company's Base Office half dozen times to have the mistake corrected and has been assured at the end of each and every call that NOW it is definately, absolutely, positively, corrected......

Liars.

And Paulius thought HE had problems with the medical community!!!

Uh Oh......

Okay, so today before leaving work I weighed....241.6..Yay a loss......then I thought, but it's first day of Aunty Flo's visit!! How can I have LOST weight?(Sorry- TMI, I know, but it's pertinent info for the story.....)

So I drove home and when I got there I wasn't feeling right at all. I mean I felt WEIRD. I have also been just absolutely parched for the past couple of weeks and I meant to take my blood sugar reading before heading off to bed. But it was so cold in the house(we leave off turning on the heat as long as possible after having to run the A/C all summer......did that make sense?) all I could think about is just getting in my PJs, crawling into bed and getting warm. So that's what I did.
But as I lay there, I began feeling worse. I started getting queasy. So I dragged myself out of bed and went to the living room and checked my blood sugar.
Almost 5 hours after last eating, it was well over 150.

I have a doctors appointment this coming week. Good thing.
This is the first time I've had a high blood sugar reading in AGES! I'm HYPO-glycemic and have never had a problem with high blood sugar...mine usually drops like a stone at a moments notice!
Looks like I'll be joining my hubby with his dietary restrictions.

Is It Soup Yet????

I'm making a big ole pot of home-made Vegetable Soup for dinner tonight....it has tomatoes, beef, mushrooms, onions, corn, green beans, kidney beans, a lil' bit of spinach(I didn't have any okra) and some spices in it......oh- and potatoes- can't have veggie soup without potatoes in it!!
I LOVE Autumn!!!!

Life Goes On.....................And Parrots.

I have a lot weighing on my mind today.

I have a friend who means a lot to me and has a couple of problems and has asked for advice. I'm mulling over possible solutions and I just don't see anything viable I can offer. I can't divulge the nature of the problem, but for all my problem solving abilities I see nothing but trouble in the future for this person. Wheels have been set in motion that have no brakes and it's breaking my heart to see this happen.

I wish I could make the world a perfect place for everyone. I wish I could take away all the hurt, and anger, and wrong that's being done. I wish I could erase all the pain and hunger, and loss that is occurring in the entire world......I know I can't- But I wish I could. Nothing would make me happier.

.....why are some people so susceptible to others opinions and views? They are so easily swayed by whoever's presence they are in at the moment. They can't form an opinion of their own, they go with peer pressure. And they seem to gather others like them who all just feed off each other....until in the end- no one says what's really on their mind- they are just parroting whatever they have heard others convey which was just parroted from someone else.

I just don't get it.

I miss snuggling with my sweetie........

Why?

Why do some people not use their brains?

Army Wives......

OMG!!!
Did y'all watch Army Wives last night??? Several cliffhangers for next season!!
And Drop Dead Diva's end was AWESOME as well!! Jane has a HUSBAND??????????

I'll be waiting impatiently for next seasons openers for sure!!

2012...And Other Nonsense.

Yeah- I plan on going to see the "End Of Time" movie 2012.

Paul often wonders why I have such a facination of these disaster movies......."The Day After Tomorrow", "EarthQuake", "Dante's Peak",. etc............sometimes I wonder, too. But I like to watch them. I love the special effects. I love the premise. I love to watch and see how man overcomes adversity. (Well, at least the ones who DO survive.) I sit and ask myself when given the choice to go with group A or Group B or to strike out on my own in that same situation, what would I have done. And then I usually get to see the outcome of my decisions.

It's entertainment.
It's a movie.

Sometimes I'm glad I don't have more university education than I got. I can't imagine analyzing every single movie I see for the rest of my life and I think Paul's film studies courses in university quite possibly has ruined his movie-going experiences for the rest of his life.

I don't sit around and analyze every little bit of the film for technical correctness or content.
I just enjoy the story.
Every nonsensical bit of it,- just for the sake of entertainment.

Only 75 Days Left..........

You know what I'm talking about!
I can start getting ready(as in decorating) in 61 days.

Just sayin'.

Rough Night

So I was thinking about how great the new toothpaste we had gotten was. How it lightened my teeth at least 3 shades the FIRST time I used it and how I should call Clay to tell him about it since he LOVES to drink his two gallons of tea a day and how quickly it can stain up your teeth.
I actually had the phone out and four of the seven numbers already dialed to his cellphone before it hit me that I couldn't.
It felt like someone had punched me in the chest. I couldn't breathe. I cried for the next three hours before I could get it together to do my work.
Sometimes it's the smallest things that hit me hardest.

Attention K-Mart Shoppers.....

We have a Blue Light Special on Aisle 123 and 441...........(actually that was Highways 123 and 441!!)


Oh What A Night......Early October here in 2009......What a Very Special Time For Me......As I remember, What a NIGHT!!!

(First, Four and a half hours at the doctors office with mostly good news for Paulius when we had finished.)

Then off on a lovely drive thru TN, NC & GA before returning home to SC......and being blue-lighted several times after dark on the way back, all because of a tiny little malfunctioning Tag-light!!....Only one little blue paper, tho- and it was only a Warning Ticket...NO FINE!!
That light will be fixed first thing in the morning.
Bet on it!!!

But for NOW..........Been up 34 hours ....am off to bed. Enough with the UNIFORMS today!!!!

Horse-Thief Harry

I heard a strange newscast today on the way to work... talking about an old author (I think it was Damon Runion) who had recently passed away and they read a passage from one of his books. In it someone was talking about a character called Horse-Thief Harry, nicknamed not because he was an actual horse-thief, but because everyone reckoned that IF the opportunity arose- he might actually steal a horse.

Man, am I ever glad THAT trend didn't catch on.... Getting a nickname not for what you have done- but what you might POSSIBLY do if the opportunity arose.

Can you imaging some of your OWN nicknames that might have come about?
*Shudders at the thought*.......

Stop Messing Around.....

...Little piece of advice for you...if you don't know what you're doing, don't be messing with the settings on your blog......at least not until you have a computer whiz sitting beside you so he..I mean THEY....They can fix it without yourself having to work at it an hour trying to figure out what the heck you were doing wrong before you figure out that you only forgot to hit the SAVE SETTINGS button when you were finished to put it back right.
(Yes- I talk with minimal punctuation too!)

What a BLOND!!!!!!

Over The River & Thru The Woods......Remember that Thanksgiving song?

Just a reminder since the holidays are on the way.......

Last year we had a big Halloween Costume party here at mine and Pauls home for the entire family- adults and kids alike.

Then, I made Thanksgiving dinner and had the whole family over. We had a big Pork Roast and lots of different dishes with just a FEW select things we usually have on T-Day.
The reason we had Pork instead of Turkey was because since coming over from England, my husband has done things by MY family's traditions. Traditional Turkey Dinner for Thanksgiving and then a Christmas Day Brunch with scrambled eggs, country ham, bacon, sausage, home-made biscuits, Hash brown casserole and orange danish rolls.*Sighs*
So last year, we had the Halloween party, then something totally different for Thanksgiving Dinner- and then, just for my darling husband, I made a full out Christmas Dinner with Roast Turkey, Baked Ham, Yorkshire Pudding, Mince Pies, PLUS all the regular favorites from our normal Thanksgiving Dinner. And we invited everyone over for Christmas Dinner as well.

Unfortunately, my darling husband was sick as the proverbial dog that day and so got to enjoy not an iota of the "specially made for him" Christmas dinner. We were BOTH devastated, to say the least.

The rest of the family felt bad for him, but they enjoyed the meal, nonetheless, all enjoying the change of the menus.
They were very verbal about it.

Paul and I had planned to be in England this year for the Christmas Holiday visiting with HIS family, (which due to my and his recent health issues and the car problems ,WON'T be happening this year), so when they were raving about how great the get togethers had been, I told them I was GLAD they had enjoyed them so much, because since Paul and I were planning on being with his family for Christmas in 2009- I was going take a break and let THEM do the Thanksgiving Dinner next year.
The looks I got was "Deer In The Headlamps".
Priceless.
And it's now 2009...THE Year!!!

Now I will, probably, be bringing a dish or two to the dinner(I understand some things only mama can make or it's just not right)....but I was serious about letting them plan it and cook it this year. I'm looking forward to seeing what new ideas(or old ones) they bring into or incorporate into the mix. I think they are, not scared to death, but nervous about it....but they can do it...I have faith.

(So, my children, just a reminder......in case you have forgotten.... Basic things you need to plan are...
Where it will be, who will cook what, and who's invited.
It's not gonna be that hard with all six of you involved.
I Love you. Good Luck. I have faith in you........ And I am looking forward to it!!)

The Simple Things In Life.......

How can grown men who are otherwise sensible, mature adults sit around watching fart videos and giggling like schoolgirls?

And why does sitting here watching them get such a kick out of such simple-minded humor give me so much pleasure?

It's one of the great mysteries of Life, I tell you.

Big Ole Bowl Of Awesomeness!!!

Have I mentioned how totally Wonderful and Awesome my husband is?

I won't go into his LATEST reason for being so awesome- but it's a really good one.

He's, like, a 28, at LEAST.